Dual Use and Biosecurity: the Case of the Avian Flu H5N1

Pieter J. D. Drenth

Department of Psychology, University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

DOI: 10.4236/ojapps.2012.23017                

Abstract

The classical dual use problem—the potential for harmful as well as beneficial application of scientific findings—has become more immediate in biotechnology than in most other fields of science. Terrorist misuse of the information on the development of pathogenic organisms can lead to catastrophic outcomes. Therefore, particular in biosciences researchers are faced with the dilemma to find a proper balance between the right to know and the dangers of knowing. In this paper this dilemma is illustrated by the research on the influenza A virus subtype H5N1, commonly known as “bird flu”. The pros and cons of the full publication on the development of a dangerous airborne type are discussed.

Keywords

Dual Use; Biosecurity; Biosafety; Bird Flu

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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